The present invention relates to an engine-gearbox assembly, in particular for motorcycles. Motorcycles are generally provided with a sequential non-synchronised gearbox. In traditional solutions, the members which intervene during a shifting operation are generally three: a hand grip for controlling the flow of fuel to the engine, a friction-clutch control lever and a pedal for selecting the gears.
The engine-gearbox assembly according to the present invention is characterized in that it comprises, in addition to the traditional manual control means, actuator means for controlling the operation of the friction-clutch and engagement of the gears, independently from the manual control means. An electronic control unit is provided for controlling said actuator means for shifting in a servo-assisted manner after having received a shifting command imparted by the driver, for instance by means of a pair of push-buttons.
With an assembly according to the present invention, the driver can carry out the shifting either in a servo-assisted manner by simply pushing a button, or in a manual manner by using the friction-clutch lever, the gas control hand grip and the pedal for selecting the gears, as in a normal motorcycle with manually-controlled gear shift.